Tachistoscope



May 5, 1953 v. M. O'FLAHERTY 2,637,130

TACI-IISIOSCOPE Filed Oct. 3, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheav 2 MircezzzfiOF/aker .Mrvzeys y 5; 1953 v. M. OFLAHERTY 2,637,130

/ TACHISTOSCOPE Filed 001;. 3, 1949 3 Sheets-Shesv 5 I 27 H1 22%. Z5 I": I 2.4

Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TACHISTOSCOPE Vincent M. OFlaherty, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Richard J. Panlener, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application October 3, 1949, Serial No. 119,250

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved tachistoscope, that is, to a device for exposing cards to view for a short period of time.

It is an object of my invention to provide a card tachistoscope in which the cards are stacked in a magazine with the matter to be viewed appearing on the rear surfaces of the cards, and in which the cards are released one by one so as to drop in such a manner that the reverse surface of each card is momentarily exposed to view.

It is a further object to provide a tachistoscope in which the duration of card exposure is effected by interrupting and reversing the rotation of a falling card, and by retarding the subsequent motion of the card by means of an air cushion.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved means for releasing the cards one at a time from a stack.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a card receptacle which cooperates with a falling card to form an air cushion, and to control the movement of the card by regulating the escape of air from said card receptacle.

Still another object is to provide a series of cards which are specially formed so that they may be released one by one by a relatively simple releasing means.

A still further object is to provide an improved means for controlling the falling movement of I a card so as to permit the surface of the card to be exposed to view for a short period of time.-

Other objects, features and advantages will be come apparent as the description proceeds.

With reference now to the drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the obverse surfaces of two of the cards adapted to be used with the device shown in the preceding figures;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged front view of the escapement device;

Fig. 8 is a side view thereof; and

Figs. 9 to 13 inclusive are diagrammatic sectional views showing the path of the falling card.

The device comprises a base l4 on which is mounted a box-like card receptacle 15 having a front wall l6, a rear wall I! and end walls l8.

2 The interior of the card receptacle forms an air pocket IS. The base [4 is provided with an aperture 20 so that the cards within the receptacle can be removed by merely lifting the device from the table on which it is positioned.

A U-shaped bracket 2| is secured to and projects upwardly from the end walls IS. A card releasing device, referred to as escapement 22, is pivotally mounted in an aperture in the horizontal portion of the bracket 2|. As shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the escapement includes a body member 23 and an arbor 24, the latter being confined between the upper surface of the bracket 2| and the lower surface of a plate 25 which is secured to the bracket. Thus, the escapement may be oscillated by the operator, the upwardly projecting portion of the body member 23 serving as a handle.

Depending from the body member is a release arm 26 which terminates in a bead or ball 21, the latter providing a substantially frictionless card engaging surface.

Projecting rearwardly from the upper edge of the rear wall I! is a card support 28, the upper surface of which is inclined forwardly and downwardly. Preferably the card support is a glass plate so as to provide a smooth and substantially frictionless surface on which a stack of cards 3|] may be supported.

The front edge of the card support is provided with one or more upwardly projecting lugs 29 which serve to limit the forward movement of the card stack.

The card stack is made up of two series of cards, 3| and 32, which alternate with each other. As shown in Fig. 5, the card 3| is provided with a notch 33 in its upper edge, the notch being disposed immediately at the right of the vertical axis of the card. As shown in Fig. 6, the card 32 is provided with a similar notch 34 which is disposed immediately to the left of the vertical axis of the card.

In operation, the cards 3| and 32 are alternated in the stacks so that the notches 33 and 34 are staggered. Thus, as the release arm is oscillated it will register first with one notch and then with the other so that the cards will be released one by one.

The speed of the release may be increased by effecting a preliminary separation of the cards, and for this purpose holding arms 35 and 36 may be provided. These are spaced rearwardly from the release arm 26, but are off-set to either side thereof. The holding arms are shorter than the release arms so that when the release arm is rocked to the right. as indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 5 and 6, so as to release the card 3|, the holding arm 36 will clear the upper edge of card 32 and permit it to drop forwardly into engagement with the release arm. The holding arm 35 at this time is displaced downwardly so as to hold the card which is behind card 32 in spaced relationship therewith.

The escapement may also be provided with separating arms 31, 38 and 39 which serve to hold the third and fourth cards, the fifth and sixth cards, and the remainder of the stack, respectively, in spaced relationship to each other as shown in Fig. 3.

However, it will be understood that the saparating arms, or the holding arms, or both may be dispensed with since the release of the top card is effected solely by the release arm 26.

A fulcrum 40 in the form of a rod is disposed transversely of the card receptacle I5 near the upper portion thereof and closer to the front wall than to the back. As the top card isreleased from the stack 30, it falls with a rotary movement, due to the lugs 29. Thus, the outer edge; of the card, this being the upper edge of the card when in stack formation, will be engaged by the fulcrum with the result that the motion of the card ismomentarily interrupted, this position of the card is shown in Fig. 10. In this" position, the reverse surface 52 of the card is" facing upwardly and exposed to the view of the operator; the obverse surface of the card being designated by the reference numeral 53. At this point, the card starts to pivot about the fulcrum All, as shown in Fig. 11. Thus the fulcrum serves to" reversethe rotation of the card. The" movement of the card from the Fig. 10 to Fig. 11 positioncauses displacement of theair within the receptable or air pocket l9, and thus the movement of the card is greatly retarded if the air is entrapped. Means are provided: to permit the es cape of the air from the air pocket in order tospeed up the movement of thecard from the Fig. 1 0 to the Fig. 11 position, and thereby to shorten the' time of exposure.

A- fiap 4! is secured to the fulcrum 40 and is adapted to engage the underside of a. shelf It which projects rear-wardly from the front wall 16, as shown in Fig. 3. The shelf is provided with a series of apertures 43 which are blocked when the flap H is in the solid line position. The fulcrum 40 is rotatably mounted in the end walls I8 and terminates in an operating arm 44. Thus, the flap 4| may be lowered to the dottedline'position shown in Fig. 3 in order to permit the escape of air through the apertures 43.

Additional means for permitting the escape of air from the air pocket are provided, these being in the form of a series of apertures 45 formed in the rear wall H. A sliding shutter 41 is held against the rear wall by means of a plate 43', the shutter and plate both being provided with aperturos which register with the aperture 44. Reference to Fig. 4 will indicate that the shutter 41 may he slid to one side, thereby cutting off the escape of air through the apertures 45.

To the upper interior surface of the rear wall l1, there is secured a plate 48 which is curved forwardly so as to maintain a substantially constant clearance between the card and the rear wall as it drops from its Fig. 10 to Fig. 11 posi-. tion.

A hinged plate 49 is mounted on the top por-' tionof bracket 2| and extends rearwardly therefrom. This hinged plate serves to confine the stack of cards 30 on the card support 28, the plate being provided with a downwardly extending lip for this purpose. Projecting forwardly from the upper portion of the bracket is a shield 50 which serves to direct the view of the observer downwardly onto the exposed surface of the card in its Fig. 10 position, thereby obviating any distraction caused by the movement of the outer edge of the following card. The card support 36 is provided with side guides 5i which help to maintain the cards in proper stacked relationship.

In operation, the tachistoscope is loaded with a stack of cards which have been arranged in alternating relationship as pointed out above. The operator grasps the body portion 23 of the escapementand oscillates it slowly, thereby releasing the cards one by one. The path taken by thefollowing cards is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 9 to 13 inclusive. The movement of a card from the Fig. 10 to: the Fig. 11 position will be comparatively slow due to the air cushion effect referred to above. This is the time during which the reverse surface of the card is exposed, and the duration of this period can be regulated by manipulating either the operating arm M or the shutter 41, or both.

When all of the cards have been released and have dropped into the receptacle, the device may be lifted up and the cards removed and repiaoed on the card support.

As shown in 9, the end walls it may be provided with a series of apertures 54 so that the position of the fulcrum to may be shifted. This shifting of the fulcrum also serves to control the duration of the card exposure. In certain of these positions, it may be desirable to provide alternative flaps 4| in order to provide proper coopera tion with the shelf 42 and apertures 43.

Although I have shown only a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tachistoscope comprising a card receptacle for holding a. stack of cards and forming an air pocket, means for engaging a card at a point near one edge thereof so as to constitute momentarily the sole support for said card, said means comprising fulcrum means disposed in the upper portion of said card receptacle and above said stack, and means, including a card support, for positioning a card in a substantially horizontal position overlying said fulcrum so that the movement of said card about said fulcrum is retarded by the air in said air pocket, the said card receptacle being disposed forwardly and beneath said card support so that the surface of said card when overlying said fulcrum, is exposed momentarily to the view of the observer.

2. In a tachistoscope, an escapement comprising a body member mounted for oscillatory movement, a release arm projecting downwardly from said body portion for releasing the first card in a stack, and a pair of laterally spaced holding arms disposed rearwardly of said release arm for engaging the second card of a stack to hold the same in spaced relationship from said first card.

3. An escapement as claimed in claim 2 having a separating arm disposed behind said holding arms and in alignment with said release arm for holding the third card in said stack in spaced relationship from said second card.

4. A tachistosoope comprising a card receptacle for holding a stack of cards and forming an air pocket, means for engaging a card at a point near one edge thereof so as to constitute momentarily the sole support for said card, said means comprising fulcrum means disposed in the upper portion of said card receptacle and above said stack, means for positioning a card in a substantially horizontal position overlying said fulcrum so that the movement of said card about said fulcrum is retarded by the air in said air pocket, whereby the surface of said card is exposed momentarily to the view of the observer, a wall of said card receptacle being perforated, and shutter means adjacent said perforated wall for regulating the passage of air therethrough, whereby the speed of the card movement about said fulcrum can be controlled.

5. A tachistoscope comprising a card receptacle for holding a stack of cards and forming an air pocket, means, for engaging a card at a point near one edge thereof so as to constitute m0- mentarily the sole support for said card, said means comprising fulcrum means disposed in the upper portion of said card receptacle and above said stack, means for positioning a card in a substantially horizontal position overlying said fulcrum so that the movement of said card about said fulcrum is retarded by the air in said air pocket, whereby the surface of said card is exposed momentarily to the View of the observer,

and partition means extending between said fulcrum and the ad acent wall of said receptacle to prevent the escape of air from said air pocket.

6. A tachistoscope as claimed in claim 5 in which said partition means is perforated, and

shutter means to regulate the passage of air through said partition means.

'7. A tachistoscope comprising a card receptacle for holding a stack of cards and forming an air pocket, means for engaging a card at a point near one edge thereof so as to constitute momentarily the sole support for said card, said means comprising fulcrum means disposed in the upper portion of said card receptacle and above said stack, and means for positioning a card in a substantially horizontal position overlying said fulcrum so that the movement of said card about said fulcrum is retarded by the air in said air pocket, whereby the surface of said card is exposed momentarily to the view of the ob- I server, said card positioning means including a substantially horizontal card support for holding a plurality of cards in a forwardly inclined substantially vertical position, a lug projecting upwardly from the forward edge of said card support for confining the lower edges of said cards, and escapement means located above said cards and releasably engaging the upper edge of the foremost card on said support for releasing said cards one at a time, whereby said released cards will drop forwardly and downwardly with a r0- tary motion.

8. A tachistoscope comprising a card receptacle for holding a stack of cards and forming an air pocket, means for engaging a card at a point near one edge thereof so as to constitute momentarily the sole support for said card, said means comprising fulcrum means disposed in the upper portion of said card receptacle and above said stack. and means for positioning a card in a substantially horizontal position overlying said fulcrum so that the movement of said card about said fulcrum is retarded by the air in said air pocket, whereby the surface of said card is exposed momentarily to the view of the observer, the position of said fulcrum means being adjustable.

9. A tachistoscope comprising a card receptacle for holding a stack of cards and forming an air pocket, means for engaging a card at a point near one edge thereof so as to constitute momentarily the sole support for said card, said means comprising fulcrum means disposed in the upper portion of said card receptacle and above said stack, and means for positioning a card References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,923 Shepard Feb. 11, 1902 2,424,053 Rembold July 15, 1947 2,483,035 Burns Sept. 27, 1949 2,486,841 Harris Nov. 1, 1949 

